Kinnaur (Himachal Pradesh): Master Shyam Saran Negi, one of the first voters of Independent India, turned 105 on July 1. To mark the day, Kinnaur District Deputy Commissioner Abid Hussain Sadiq and SP Ashok Ratna reached his residence and wished him a happy birthday. On the occasion, he was asked to cut a cake by the two officials.
Negi is among the first voters of Independent India and has been casting his vote in each general election since 1952. The first general elections in independent India were held in 1952, however, due to snowfall in tribal areas of Himachal Pradesh, voting in the state was held five months earlier in October 1951. A schoolmaster by profession, Negi cast his vote for the first time on October 25, 1951.
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Negi has ensured that his vote was counted in every Lok Sabha election, assembly election, and Panchayat elections held since 1952. He was officially declared the first voter of Independent India after an initiative taken by the Election Commission of India in the year 2007. Three years later in June 2010, the then Chief Election Commissioner Navin Chawla congratulated Negi on being the first voter in the country at a meeting in Kalpa.
The 105-year-old expressed his gratitude towards the administration, which came to his home to celebrate his birthday. He said that he is proud to be the first voter in India. For him, he said, every election is equal to a birthday. Negi added that he will cast his vote in the next elections as well, which are to be held in Himachal Pradesh towards the end of the year.
On the occasion, DC Sadiq said that the fact that India's first voter belongs to Himachal Pradesh is a matter of great pride for the state. "We extend heartfelt wishes and hope that Negi will remain healthy for many more years to come," he said.
